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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25536376">The Gift</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcscribbler/pseuds/kcscribbler'>kcscribbler</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: The Original Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Episode Related, Episode Tag, Episode: s02e15 Journey to Babel, Friendship, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:07:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,418</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25536376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcscribbler/pseuds/kcscribbler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scene from the end of <i>Journey to Babel</i>. Amanda Grayson watches and listens, while in Sickbay one evening a couple of days after the conclusion of the episode. </p><p>Written as gen, can be read as pre-slash if that's what flies your starship.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James T. Kirk &amp; Spock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Gift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A/N: I like Amanda Grayson, and think she was probably an exceptional woman. While the slapping scene in Babel made me cringe for obvious reasons, I still wanted to see more of her interacting with her son (and Kirk), and when I received multiple requests for more missing scenes from this episode many years ago, it wasn’t hard to indulge myself accordingly. This episode's been tagged to death, but here's another of mine.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Being married to a Vulcan, and living amongst them for decades, carried both its advantages and disadvantages. The latter were few, but those few were highly unpleasant; however, Amanda Grayson had decided long before marrying Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan that the advantages of becoming one with such a brilliant mind far outweighed those societal discomforts she experienced due to her humanity. Very few humans could understand, or even tried to understand, the depth and intensity of the love which characterized a Vulcan marriage bond; one that would envelop and nullify any other discomfiting factor in the world with its inexplicably powerful force. She would not have traded it for the universe.</p><p>However, one of those smaller discomforts was the fact that her only son had been forced all his life to watch both sides of the cultural equation, human and Vulcan, and had eventually made his decisions in the only way he properly knew how; logically, without the benefit of personal experience to guide him otherwise. While Sarek required Amanda to act as a proper Vulcan in public settings, he would never have even contemplated, nor wished to contemplate, forcing her to repress all human tendencies or emotion while they were alone.</p><p>Nonetheless, she had been expected to hold that emotionalism somewhat in restraint when it came to their son, and that dual nature had, she knew, been a factor in Spock's conforming to being even more Vulcan than several full-blooded of the race that she was acquainted with. Human nature – or even half-human – is to overcompensate in certain areas when other areas are perceived as weaknesses, and her son illustrated that principle all too well.</p><p>Amanda knew all this, and always had, but had been so distracted by the idea of losing one or both of those men she loved that she had behaved abominably, even as a human – much less as the wife and mother of a Vulcan – to Spock upon this voyage. And it did not take the obvious indignation of her son’s human captain, directed at both her and her husband across a busy Engineering department before being hidden under a very Vulcan-like exterior itself, to remind her of what was truly important; nor its return when she showed far more concern for Sarek’s serious but routine surgical well-being, than her son’s highly dangerous experimental procedure.</p><p>Interesting, indeed, that such things were so obvious to her and not, apparently, to her son.</p><p>For so it was, that when Spock stopped by the day following his release from Sickbay to check on his parents (out of a purely logical desire for exact diagnosis, so he said) that she apologized for her reactions in the days previous, only to find he had apparently already released any reaction he might have held, in the true manner of the Vulcan Way.</p><p>"Apologies are unnecessary, Mother," he had said, with his usual reassuring serenity.</p><p>She shook her head, casting a glance at her peacefully sleeping husband to see if she might give more of a display than he would approve of were he conscious. "But they are, Spock," she replied. "You are and must be who you <em>are</em>; and a mother should never become so distraught over something that she vents her emotion upon her son – Vulcan <em>or</em> human."</p><p>Spock bowed his head slightly. "While I still maintain that you need not trouble yourself over the incident, I am able to understand the…distraction," here he paused, and she saw his eyes flick almost imperceptibly toward the door of the Recovery Ward, "that would prompt an uncharacteristic response."</p><p>She had smiled at that, and let the matter drop as his uneasiness was obvious, and soon afterwards he had taken his leave and gone to sit with his Captain, as he had the day before and the one prior to that, during the hours in which he was no longer on duty or seeing to the needs of the delegates the Enterprise carried.</p><p>She had never been so glad of anything in her unusual life as she had been to discover that her so-very-Vulcan son had accepted such a friend as Captain James Kirk appeared to be. Half the content of his rare communiqués home were accounts of this one man, as well as a few select others (including the uniquely abrasive physician who appeared to love teasing Spock about anything and everything, much to her amusement and Sarek's slight disgust). Those letters of mission accounts were more character sketches of a competent commander, but the shorter, more personal, missives, delivered at her request and acquiesced to reluctantly for only that reason, spoke of happier times – though certainly not in those words – of lazy evenings aboard ship, and shore leaves which her son had previously abhorred with every cell of his Vulcan katra. She doubted that Spock himself even realized how every other line spoke more about his human companions than about himself or his work – and that in itself was remarkable, and a distinct change from the introverted young man he had been in Academy days, and even as Science Officer under Christopher Pike.</p><p>It was incredible, in that no true Vulcan would ever accept a human except in circumstances so rare as to be literally unheard-of; human affection, human love, and all their derivatives were so fickle and flighty that no Vulcan worth his mental shields would ever trust a typical specimen of the race enough to form more than a shallow acquaintance with him or her. Amanda was pleased that her son had rejected that unimportant part of his Vulcan heritage (one of only a few that she disliked from that much better way of life) and had instead embraced the facts as Truth – that he <em>was</em> half-human, and that there was no shame in admitting, however indirectly, to caring about humans.</p><p>Still, humanly speaking, as a mother she would give anything to be able to see him act just a <em>little</em> more human, even if it were just with her alone. It had been so long since she had even spoken personally to him until this voyage, much less that she had seen him; and because of the tension between him and Sarek, Spock had been even more cold and expressionless now than she remembered even from his childhood, when he would struggle so hard to act as a full Vulcan without the advantage of <em>being</em> one.</p><p>Sometimes Spock, and Sarek as well, forgot that she also knew what it was to be a being of two worlds, and to not precisely belong in either. She was simply fortunate enough to have someone at her side to fully accept her as she was, and defend against anyone who might do otherwise.</p><p>She suspected the same might just be true aboard this ship, now; but only time would tell just to what extent that relationship might be. Spock’s life was his own, and she only wished him happiness, in whatever form he wanted.</p><p>A small trickle of human laughter filtered through the entryway of Sarek's recovery cubicle, and on impulse she left her husband still sleeping quite peacefully, and moved over to the door of the next ward.</p><p>Across the room, Dr. McCoy glanced up from where he was feeding paperwork into a whirring machine. He half-scowled at something beeping insistently on the computer, and then grinned at the sight of her, eyebrows twitching. He held a finger to his lips, pointed another one at the corner holding his two superiors, and then went back to his work without another sound.</p><p>She took the hint and remained silent, half-hidden in the shadows of a bulkhead, to watch the occupants of the small medical cubicle.</p><p>Captain Kirk had unfortunately not healed as quickly as the physician had hoped he would in the last four days, for the simple reason that he fought being incapacitated with every fiber of his soul. Stubbornness was one trait she had noticed the Captain sharing with her son, possibly one reason they functioned so well together. In addition to causing further tissue and organ damage to the healing wound by his impromptu heroics on the Bridge during the battle with the Orions, Captain Kirk had been caught twice trying to sneak out of Sickbay (once by McCoy, once by Spock who had been coming by to bring him breakfast from the Officers' Mess, much to the CMO's dismay) and neither time had been beneficial to his slowly-healing lung and back injury. He also, according to Spock, never slept well in Sickbay, and no doubt that lack of restful sleep would wreak havoc on anyone if left for days on end.</p><p>Now the physician had permitted Kirk to sit up in the bio-bed, pillows propped carefully behind him in a side-heavy position that would not aggravate the healing injury, and at present he was eyeing a half-empty chess board that her son had set up on a small table next to the bed. Spock's back was to her, his eyes on the table, while the Captain lay on his side facing them both, as the two men combined business with pleasure and discussed the ambassadorial situation. Over one hundred additional passengers aboard a ship of this size was no small feat, for so long a voyage, and it no doubt was taxing on the entire crew. Having the captain down for several days was likely putting a strain on morale as well.</p><p>"Nothing of consequence, sir," Spock was saying, while moving a bishop to the third level. "Dr. McCoy actually was the one who accomplished the latest cessation of verbal hostilities this morning."</p><p>"Oh?" Kirk's eyes shone with a warm golden light; she could see the affection in them from where she stood, and it was no wonder that look had thawed a frozen-granite Vulcan façade shortly after taking command. "Do I want to know how, or is this a plausible deniability scenario?"</p><p>"Do you recall the information we were given about the Gra'aitians' high regard for 'colorful and profane metaphors', in any language?"</p><p>The Captain laughed, reaching out for his closest knight and handing it to his First Officer; he could not reach the majority of the board without stretching. "King's level two, please. Don't tell me Bones out-cursed a Gra'aitian ambassador?"</p><p>Listening closely, Amanda would have sworn that Spock should have been smiling as he spoke next; but she of course could not see his face and had only the tone to judge by.</p><p>"Quite well, I believe, and in both Gra'aitian and Federation Standard. I have heard rumors of Ambassador Chi'idth wishing to induct the Doctor as an honorary member of his advisory council when we reach Babel."</p><p>Kirk flopped over onto his back with an arm over his eyes, chortling, and Amanda smiled in response; whether Spock fully knew the medicinal value of laughter or not, he obviously was aware that it was healthy for a human soul and was using that knowledge to his advantage.</p><p>"And he said he'd pay me a heck of a lot better than Starfleet does, too, Captain!" she heard McCoy bellow good-naturedly from behind her (evidently one of the man's finer arts was the ability to eavesdrop from the next room), and she quickly shrank back to avoid being seen. She was not quite fast enough, however, to avoid Kirk's amused but obviously weary eyes flicking over toward the entryway.</p><p>He blinked at her, questioning but giving nothing away upon his face so that Spock would never know, and as she met the glance she would have sworn he winked cheekily at her before turning his attentions back to the game at hand. Spock had waited patiently for the return of his focus.</p><p>"Um…" The man rubbed his forehead for a moment, squinting at the board. "There. Check," he added with a sly smirk, after pushing a rook into place on the lowest level.</p><p>She did note that her son's head had not bent to look at the board, but instead was tilted directly toward the Captain's face for several seconds. Finally, as the human looked up quizzically, Spock's long fingers reached out and hastily moved a knight to a different level.</p><p>A wide smile, if somewhat strained at the edges, creased the captain's face, and he stretched out an arm to grasp at his queen, leaning forward as he did so. All at once the color washed down from his face, and his fingertips missed the board as he slumped back, exhaling in a pained, sharp sound with his free hand clenched in the sheets.</p><p>"Captain, Dr. McCoy expressly said to refrain from stretching your injury!" Spock responded instantly, picking up the piece before Kirk reached it but keeping his eyes on the injured man.</p><p>"Yes, thank you, I am well aware of that." Kirk exhaled again slowly, though his face had turned another shade of pale and a sheen of perspiration had begun to form on his forehead. "But explain to me <em>logically</em>, Commander, how I am ever going to get better if he won't even let me sit up by myself?"</p><p>"At a much more rapid rate than if you persist in foolishness of this nature," Spock answered severely, and Amanda stifled a laugh at his tone, that of a parent toward a wayward child.</p><p>Kirk leaned back with a sigh, and waved a limp hand. "Yes, well…queen to queen's level three," he sighed, indicating the destination on the board and then closing his eyes.</p><p>"Are you certain?"</p><p>One eye opened again, glaring sourly at the board. "You’re as aware as I am that it’s mate in twelve, maybe fourteen, Spock. I'm choosing a quick and painless death instead of dragging it out."</p><p>She could not see her son's expression, but she noticed that he set the piece back down in its original position, and then rose gracefully to move the table out of the way.</p><p>"Hey, what –" Kirk protested faintly.</p><p>"We will finish this another day, Captain," Spock said quietly, and moved the table safely out of the main traffic areas, against a spotless wall. "If you, the man who has before ‘dragged a game out’ for a total of seven hours, thirteen minutes, and forty-nine seconds, and concluded it by winning with an impossible combination of pieces, are willing to simply accede a match to me when you have at least three acceptable alternatives, then you are not as well as you pretend to be."</p><p>"I'm fine. I’m just…too tired to think about how to get myself out of it right now," Kirk murmured, rubbing a sleeve over his eyes and forehead, mopping away the perspiration. “You know I can’t think when these pain-killers hit.”</p><p>"Precisely why we shall finish it at a later time, Jim," was the gentle answer, and Amanda felt her eyes widen both at the tone, and at the unheard-of informality. With Spock, it had always been "the Captain," even during the crises of the last few days. Only once, just after his premature time, had he slipped and referred to the man by anything else in a communiqué. She could not even think of another person whom Spock would ever have contemplated calling by his or her first name, including all his days at the Academy or serving under Captain Pike. Such familiarity was, to put it mildly, most unfamiliar.</p><p>"You require rest now, sir," her son was speaking quietly, "and I promised Dr. McCoy I would see that you ceased activity when it became more detrimental than beneficial to your recovery."</p><p>She heard what was likely a token protest, but her view was partially obstructed by Spock's bending over the bed to help the Captain, removing the propped pillows carefully and placing all but two of them in a neat stack on the nearest empty bed.</p><p>"I'm <em>tired</em> of resting. I need to get back on my feet, that's what I need to do," Kirk muttered plaintively, squirreling his legs under the garish crimson sheets. "This ship, and all these ambassadors at each others' throats? We still have two days before we reach Babel, and a hundred thirteen people to keep the peace between."</p><p>"And you are not a one-man diplomatic team, nor is the situation in any way worth endangering your health in a premature return to duty. Surely once a week of that particular activity is enough, even for a starship captain who believes himself to be invincible?"</p><p>Lady Amanda nearly gasped aloud, hiding a smile behind her hands, for it was blatantly obvious that that last was unabashed chiding – <em>teasing</em> – from her Vulcan son, no less. Sarek would most likely have died of horror.</p><p>Kirk's low, appreciative laugh turned into a half-strangled choke as he tried to maneuver himself down to a reclining position. "Not invincible," he gasped wryly a moment later, partially curled up on his side on one elbow, face twisted into a grimace. "Very bad idea."</p><p>“Are you in need of Doctor McCoy?”</p><p>“Don’t you dare.”</p><p>“You are an exceedingly stubborn human.”</p><p>“Two years into this mission and you’ve just now observed this? And you the Science Officer, Mr. Spock.”</p><p>An exasperated expulsion of air, not quite a sigh. “Jim, if you will permit me…?" Spock asked softly, and she saw the Captain close his eyes after a reluctant nod.</p><p>She watched as he settled the younger man gradually down into the bed, making certain the injury was not strained in any way, and then pulled the thermal blanket up from the foot of the bed, stopping just below the pale, lined face.</p><p>"I will fetch Dr. McCoy if you require something to assist with your rest. Are you still unable to sleep in this room?"</p><p>As he breathed heavily for a moment, Kirk's eyes flickered open with a small shake of the head. "I'm fine for now. Don't bother him, Spock."</p><p>"I have the Doctor's permission to bring you a meal at 1900 hours if you wish it, after I have relinquished responsibility of presiding over the nightly social functions to Mr. Scott."</p><p>His friend smiled sleepily up at his First. "That'd be great…think you can smuggle some apple pie past Bones?"</p><p><em>"Not on your life, Jim!"</em> McCoy fairly yowled from behind Amanda, and she scurried back into the shadows as both men looked in annoyance at the open entryway.</p><p>"Party pooper," the Captain grumbled, and at the sudden puzzled and slightly appalled look on the Vulcan's face Kirk laughed the amusement of the heavily drugged into the nearest pillow. "It’s an expression, Mr. Spock.”</p><p>"I had no intention of asking for clarification. Sir." was the dry reply, and Amanda could see the corners of her son's mouth were twitching suspiciously. "I shall return at 1900 hours, then…with whatever I am capable of bringing past our Chief Medical Officer's watchful eye."</p><p>A weary smile. "Thanks, Spock. Yes, I <em>know</em> 'one does not thank logic'…but I don't think you spending all your free time in here trying to keep me from climbing the walls constitutes <em>logic</em>. So. Thank you."</p><p>Momentary silence, and then a quiet "As you say, Captain."</p><p>Kirk grinned, which was followed by an enormous yawn as he obviously struggled at this point to remain fully awake, and Amanda watched Spock stand from where he had been bending over the recovering man, to check the indicators over the bed to satisfy himself as to their suitability.</p><p>A moment later, the captain's eyes fluttered closed again, and his breathing deepened as he gave up the struggle to slip into the vulnerability of sleep. She watched as for the fraction of a second Spock's fingers brushed gently against the human's temple, no doubt ensuring that his slumber would be deep and restful. Then he stood upright and straightened his tunic, composing his expression into the usual serenity, and turned to leave.</p><p>She would certainly never tell either of them that a mother's eye could see Kirk was slightly exaggerating his exhaustion, and likely their informal banter, she knew for the sole purpose of allowing her to see her son's indulgent and emotional reaction to his friend.</p><p>Amanda melted back into the shadows of her husband's room, realizing Captain Kirk had for some reason forgiven her initial impression as freely and as easily as her son had; and now, had given her a gift of his own as well.</p><p>It seemed she had nothing to worry about where Spock was concerned, after all.</p>
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